Capital Football celebrated the achievements and contributions of the region’s match officials at the 2026 Referee Honours & Awards Night, held on Friday 25 September.
The annual event recognised referees for their dedication, professionalism and commitment throughout the season, while also acknowledging those who excelled during the Grand Final series.
Hosted by Isha Singhal, sports presenter and commentator, the evening provided an opportunity to celebrate the vital role match officials play in the game and honour their outstanding contributions to football across the Capital Football community.
Georgia Ghirardello’s debut A-League Men’s (ALM) appointment marked another incredible milestone in her career, alongside her selection as Fourth Official for Canberra United’s home Elimination Final against Melbourne Victory.
Delfina Shakespear wrapped up her 13-year A-League career in 2026, officiating her final match as an Assistant Referee for Canberra United’s season closer against Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park.
Shakespear’s career as an assistant on the professional stage saw her 125 games equal the most appearances in the A-League Women’s (ALW) history, an immense contribution to football in Australia.
Harrison Cracknell also had a season to remember, making his ALW debut in Canberra United’s home match against Sydney FC in December last year.
Staying on the national stage, Nathan Shakespear, Richard Naumovski and Thomas Gellatly all represented the capital at the inaugural Australian Championship back in October 2025.
Shakespear was again called in as Central Referee and Fourth Official to referee Australia’s U-19 and U-17 fixtures against the Solomon Islands in the PacificAUS Sports Football Tour.
Gellatly, Joshua Eiser and Casey Flior all officiated Tigers FC’s match against Western Sydney Wanderers in mid-2026, with Ben Williams as Referee Coach, before Gellatly went on to oversee Round of 16 and Quarter Final matches as Assistant Referee.
Experienced official Owen Goldrick had a campaign to remember, taking on the assistant role for Juventus vs Palermo in a pre-season friendly at Perth’s HBF Park, refereeing at two AFC Champions League Elite matches, an AFC Asian Cup qualifier and U-17 Asian Cup match, alongside league and cup contests in Singapore and the UAE.
Elsewhere, Benjamin Cracknell, Thomas Stuparich and Richard Naumovski stepped up to oversee the Emerging Socceroos Championships earlier this year, while Kate Downs and Delfina Shakespear represented the ACT at the Emerging Matildas.
Finally, two all-Canberra refereeing teams took on the Young Matildas vs New Zealand for back-to-back matches in May this year, as Josua Eiser, Casey Flior, Kate Downs, Thomas Gellatly, Cailyn Loveday and Harold Spanner were selected to officiate.
At the Capital Football AGM in May, Ian and Andrea Hotchkiss were admitted as Life Members of Capital Football, recognising almost five decades of extraordinary service and contribution to football in the ACT.
Ian’s involvement in refereeing began in 1977. For close to 30 years, he served as Belsouth Referee Coordinator, supporting and mentoring generations of young match officials. His contribution has also extended across Kanga Cup, referee assessing, disciplinary and technical roles, with his impact on junior referee development recognised through the annual Ian Hotchkiss Award.
Andrea’s contribution began in 1978 and has included a pioneering role in both women’s football and refereeing. A founder of the ACT Women’s Soccer Association and one of Canberra’s first qualified female referees, Andrea has been a long-standing advocate for greater opportunities for women and girls within the game.
Beyond the roles they have held, Ian and Andrea have given countless hours of guidance, encouragement and support to members of our referee community.
These achievements wrapped up an incredible 2026 campaign locally and on the national and international stage for our match officials.
The awards got underway with recognising those appointed to our 2026 Grand Finals for the Capital Futsal League Women’s, Capital Futsal League Men’s, Women’s Federation Cup Final, Men’s Federation Cup Final, National Premier League Women’s and National Premier League Men’s competitions.
Emily Toms, Tilley Barges, Daniel Lee and Oliver Turnbull took out the Junior Referee Awards for outstanding performances throughout the campaign.
For our Senior Referee Awards, Nathan Shakespear and Bejamin Blair took out the top honours, named National Premier League Men’s and Women’s Referee of the Year respectively.
Gareth Biggs claimed the Cameron Shelton Award for Futsal Referees’ Referee of the Year, and Delfina Shakespear signed off her incredible 17-year officiating career by claiming the Nicolas Szego Award for Football Referees’ Referee of the Year.
See the full list of winners from the night below:
grand final HONOURS
| AWARD | RECIPIENT |
| Capital Futsal League Women’s Grand Final
Capital Futsal League Women’s Grand Final Capital Futsal League Women’s Grand Final Capital Futsal League Women’s Grand Final |
R1- Benjamin Cracknell
R2- Kate Downs R3- Thomas Stuparich TK- Xavier Taylor |
| Capital Futsal League Men’s Grand Final
Capital Futsal League Men’s Grand Final Capital Futsal League Men’s Grand Final Capital Futsal League Men’s Grand Final |
R1- Gareth Biggs
R2- Harrison Cracknell R3- Hamish Rae TK- Casey Flior |
| Women’s Federation Cup Final | Bradley Farmer |
| Men’s Federation Cup Final (Dennis McDermott Shield) | Joshua Eiser |
| National Premier League Women’s Grand Final | Benjamin Blair |
| National Premier League Men’s Grand Final | Nathan Shakespear |
JUNIOR REFEREE AWARDS
| AWARD | RECIPIENT |
| Ian Hotchkiss Award | Emily Toms (Radford College) |
| Gordon Carmichael Award | Tilley Barges (Tuggeranong United FC) |
| Allrounder Award | Daniel Lee (Radford College) |
| Academy Referee of the Year | Oliver Turnbull |
SENIOR REFEREE AWARDS
| AWARD | RECIPIENT |
| Capital Futsal League Women’s Referee of the Year | Benjamin Cracknell |
| Capital Futsal League Men’s Referee of the Year | Gareth Biggs |
| Capital League Women’s Referee of the Year | Duc Mac |
| Capital League Open Referee of the Year | David Hakaraia |
| National Premier League Youth Referee of the Year | Ronin Naumovski |
| National Premier League Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year | Cailyn Loveday |
| National Premier League Women’s Referee of the Year | Benjamin Blair |
| National Premier League Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year | Joshua Eiser |
| National Premier League Men’s Referee of the Year | Nathan Shakespear |
| Futsal Referee Encouragement Award | Kate Downs |
| Football Referee Encouragement Award | Emily Downs |
| The David Oner Management Award | Richard Naumovski |
| The Cameron Shelton Award – Futsal Referees’ Referee of the Year | Gareth Biggs |
| The Nicolas Szego Award – Football Referees’ Referee of the Year | Delfina Shakespear |
